Hope timeline

View the complete timeline of the Hope project, encompassing design developments, manufacturing updates, and release information. All dates are shown in the day/month/year format.

 

05/07/2024

Concept initiation.

 

24/04/2025

Public reveal.

 

27/04/2025

The first keyboard enclosure prototype quote request has been submitted.

 

01/05/2025

Gondolindrim has been approached and confirmed as the MX PCB designer for the project.

 

05/05/2025

The first keyboard enclosure prototype quote has been received.

Payment in full for the first keyboard enclosure prototype has been made. The prototype consists of A96063 aluminium alloy top and bottom enclosure pieces with a machined finish, anodised silver; a raw machined finish copper weight; and an A95052 aluminium alloy sandblasted, anodised silver switch plate.

 

13/05/2025

A Mechlovin' Infinity 87H - Onboard USB-C MX PCB has been ordered as a test PCB.

A polypropylene switch plate has been ordered from Hypekeyboards.

 

16/05/2025

The Mechlovin' Infinity 87H - Onboard USB-C MX PCB has been dispatched and is presently en route to FSR.

 

21/05/2025

Full payment has been made to Gondolindrim for the hotswap MX PCB design.

 

27/05/2025

The Mechlovin' Infinity 87H - Onboard USB-C MX PCB has now arrived at FSR.

The polypropylene switch plate from Hypekeyboards has been dispatched and is presently en route to FSR.


31/05/2025

The polypropylene switch plate from Hypekeyboards has now arrived at FSR.

 

07/06/2025

A request for a quotation for an aluminium authenticity crest has been submitted.

 

08/06/2025

Several content creators have been contacted in connection with the project, with a view to exploring potential opportunities for collaboration and engagement.

 

09/06/2025

Full payment has been made to Gondolindrim for the solder MX PCB design.

 

10/06/2025

The aluminium authenticity crest quote has been received.

Full payment has been remitted for two aluminium authenticity crest prototypes. One prototype is composed of A96063 aluminium alloy with a machined finish, anodised in black, while the second is composed of A96063 aluminium alloy with a machined finish, anodised in green.

 

13/06/2025

An enquiry was submitted to a carry case manufacturer.

 

01/07/2025

Production of the initial prototypes of the aluminium authenticity crests has been completed.

 

04/07/2025

Production of the initial prototype of the keyboard enclosure has been completed.

 

09/07/2025

Initial prototypes of the keyboard enclosure and aluminium authenticity crests have been dispatched and are presently en route to FSR.

 

11/07/2025

Initial prototypes of the keyboard enclosure and aluminium authenticity crests have now arrived at FSR.

 

20/07/2025

An inquiry has been submitted for the custom manufacture of screws featuring FSR branding on the heads, specified in marine-grade stainless steel alloy (S31600) with a T10 Torx drive across all variants.

 

23/07/2025

A request for a quotation has been submitted for a revised aluminium authenticity crest and a switch plate machined from carbon fibre.

 

25/07/2025

The quotation has been received for the carry case, and the order has been placed. Fifty per cent of the payment has been made, with the balance due upon completion of the sample production. The case will feature a sleek black exterior with black metal zippers engraved with our branding, complemented by a tan interior. The interior is custom-moulded specifically to fit Hope, ensuring a secure and snug fit. Additionally, black cloths will be included to wrap the keyboards for enhanced protection during transport.

 

29/07/2025

The moulded insert for the carry case has now been approved. The insert will now proceed to sample production.

 

31/07/2025

The mould for the zipper intended for the carry case has now been approved. The zipper will now proceed to sample production.

The quotation for a revised aluminium authenticity crest and carbon fibre switch plate has been received, and the invoice settled in full. The crest, composed of A96063 aluminium alloy with a machined finish and anodised in blue, will incorporate corner fillet sizes consistent with those of Hope and utilise an alternative method of engraved text. The carbon fibre switch plate features a revised design, with updated cut-outs in the spacebar region.

 

18/08/2025

Production of the carry case samples has been completed, and they will soon be on their way to FSR. The remaining balance of the invoice has also been paid in full.

 

27/08/2025

The carry case samples have been dispatched and are presently en route to FSR.

 

19/09/2025

A quote for the review units, covering the enclosures, the switch plates, and the authentication crests for this project, has been requested.

 

26/09/2025

The solder MX PCB design has been finalised by Gondolindrim.

 

27/09/2025

The hotswap MX PCB design has been finalised by Gondolindrim.

 

29/09/2025

Production of the revised prototypes of the aluminium authenticity crest and carbon fibre switch plate has been completed.

A quotation for the MX PCB samples required for this project has been formally requested.

 

30/09/2025

The revised prototypes of the aluminium authenticity crest and carbon fibre switch plate have been dispatched and are presently en route to FSR.

The quote request for the review units, covering the enclosures, the switch plates, and the authentication crests for this project, has been received.

 

03/10/2025

The revised prototypes of the aluminium authenticity crest and carbon fibre switch plate have now arrived at FSR.

 

08/10/2025

Following extensive evaluation of the keyboard enclosure across multiple switch and switch plate combinations, the prototype has now been formally approved. The latest authentication crest has also been officially approved. The final version of the enclosure will incorporate only minor refinements, with no fundamental changes to the design or construction, and a carbon fibre switch plate has been confirmed as the standard switch plate included in every kit.

 

10/10/2025

The quote request for the review units, comprising the enclosures, switch plates, and authentication crests, has been settled in part, with fifty per cent of the total paid and the remaining balance due upon completion of manufacturing. Four review unit enclosures have been ordered, each consisting of A96063 aluminium alloy top and bottom enclosure components with a machined finish, anodised respectively in silver, blue, cyan, and green; a raw machined finish S31600 stainless steel alloy weight; and an A95052 aluminium alloy switch plate finished in sandblasted silver. In addition to the enclosures, nine review unit authentication crests with a machined finish, anodised in silver, blue, cyan, and green, have been included, together with two transparent polycarbonate switch plates and one carbon fibre switch plate.

 

17/10/2025

The carry case samples have now arrived at FSR and have been formally approved.

 

30/10/2025

The quote for the MX PCB samples has been received and the invoice settled in full, with five hotswap MX PCBs and ten solder MX PCBs now ordered.

A quote has been received for the custom manufacture of screws featuring FSR branding on the heads, specified in marine-grade stainless steel alloy (S31600) with a T10 Torx drive across all variants, with a corresponding request for samples having been submitted.

 

03/11/2025

The machined finish originally specified for the aluminium enclosure components and authentication crests has been revised to a smooth, blasted finish for the review units, following the identification of limitations in maintaining consistent surface quality with the machined finish. All other materials, anodising colours, and design specifications remain unchanged.

 

14/11/2025

A batch of screw samples has now been ordered and paid for in full. These comprise the custom-manufactured screws bearing FSR branding on the heads, specified in marine-grade stainless steel alloy (S31600) with a T10 Torx drive across all variants.

 

22/11/2025

Production of the MX PCB samples has been successfully completed, comprising five hotswap samples and ten solder samples.

 

24/11/2025

The MX PCB samples have been dispatched and are presently en route to FSR.

 

26/11/2025

The MX PCB samples have now arrived at FSR.

 

03/12/2025

The hotswap MX PCB samples have undergone comprehensive testing and have been formally approved. Minor adjustments have been implemented, including ensuring the FSR logo is precisely centred, with no fundamental changes to the overall design.

The solder MX PCB has undergone comprehensive testing, during which an issue has been identified that is currently assumed to be firmware-related. Further investigation is ongoing.

Photographs of the screw samples have now been received and, following review, the samples have been rejected. The supplier has been requested to confirm whether the quality can be improved to meet our high-quality standards.

 

15/12/2025

An alternative supplier for the screws has been selected for the review units, with screws sourced from a supplier based in England. These are Torx screws with thread locker, manufactured from marine-grade stainless steel alloy (S31600), and do not feature engraved FSR branding on the heads. The original supplier continues to be trialled.

 

18/12/2025

The screws for the review units have now been dispatched to FSR and, being sourced in England, are scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

 

19/12/2025

The screws for the review units have now arrived at FSR and have been formally approved.

 

02/01/2026

MiKeyDigit has been commissioned to produce product page renders. A partial payment has been issued, with the remaining balance to be settled upon completion.

 

08/01/2026

MiKeyDigit has now completed the product page renders, and the balance has been remitted in full.

 

11/01/2026

Requests for production-run quotations have now been issued for all aspects of the project—from bespoke screws to enclosures.

 

13/01/2026

The green review unit is currently subject to a slight delay; all remaining review units have now been completed and are awaiting assembly. Finished units are scheduled to depart for FSR imminently, with the green review unit to follow in due course upon completion.

Production-run quotations for the PCBs have now been received.

 

14/01/2026

Production-run quotations for the carry cases have now been received.

 

19/01/2026

The remaining balance for the review units—comprising the enclosures, switch plates, and authentication crests—has now been settled in full following completion of manufacturing. All completed review units have been prepared for dispatch to FSR; the green review unit is subject to a slight delay and will be dispatched in due course upon completion.

Bespoke shipping boxes have been commissioned in preparation for the group buy. These are custom-made in England and will be ready ahead of fulfilment.

 

20/01/2026

Prior to final shipment, images of the assembled enclosures were received. Upon subsequent review, a minor corrective refinement was identified. This will result in a slight delay in shipment to FSR.

 

21/01/2026

The previously identified minor corrective refinement has been largely resolved. All screw holes were sized for M2.5 rather than the intended M3 screws. Exterior case screws have since been updated to M3, while internal screws remain M2.5 for the review units. As a result, replacement plates will be commissioned for the review units to accommodate this change, ensuring that no plate alignment is required. Any minor finish inconsistencies/flaws reflect these quick adjustments. All completed units have now been sent to FSR.

 

22/01/2026

The prototype unit has been packed and is en route to Chung-Li for a series of typing test videos, designed to highlight the board’s acoustic character in advance of the purchasing period.

Alexotos has been paid in full for content creation relating to the project, for which a review unit will be provided.

 

24/01/2026

The prototype unit has been received by Chung-Li.

 

25/01/2026

Sound tests highlighting the board’s acoustic character are now beginning to be shared publicly.

 

26/01/2026

Production-run quotations for the enclosures, authentication crests, and switch plates have now been received.

Three of the four review units have now arrived at FSR, accompanied by plates and authentication crests. They have passed quality control, with only a minor issue concerning the exterior screw holes, which are no longer anodised following their resizing to M3.

 

27/01/2026

The bespoke shipping boxes, custom-made in England for this project, have now been dispatched and are due to arrive with us within the next day.

 

28/01/2026

The bespoke shipping boxes have been received but found to be manufactured to incorrect dimensions and are too small to accommodate the carry cases. This batch has been rejected. Replacement boxes have been confirmed and will be shipped to FSR as soon as possible.

 

30/01/2026

Tomb has been fully compensated for the modified Cherry switches that will be used in the review units.

The prototype has been repacked and is presently en route back to FSR.

 

01/02/2026

The group buy has opened—running until 8 March or until our internal unit allocation is fully subscribed.

 

02/02/2026

The fourth review unit has now been finished and is awaiting final assembly and inspection by our partner, Kevin at TypePlus, after which it will depart for FSR.

The prototype unit has been received by FSR.

The replacement bespoke shipping boxes have now been dispatched and are en route to FSR.

 

03/02/2026

Switch plates for content creators have been ordered from Hypekeyboards: two aluminium, two carbon fibre, and one polycarbonate.

The modified Cherry switches from Tomb have been dispatched and are presently en route to Novelkeys and Alexotos.

 

04/02/2026

The solder MX PCB samples have undergone further comprehensive testing and what was originally thought to be a firmware issue has now been confirmed as a hardware matter. It was determined that tolerances are too tight for a number of components, resulting in a row shorting. A revised solder MX PCB is now being designed, with new prototypes to be ordered as soon as possible. Despite this, it has been decided that should content creators wish to use a solder MX PCB, they may still do so in order to highlight the acoustic character of a soldered build.

The replacement bespoke shipping boxes have arrived and meet the correct dimensions.

Three review units have been packed and are scheduled for pickup within the next two days.

The modified Cherry switches from Tomb have been received by Alexotos.

The switch plates for content creators have been dispatched from Hypekeyboards and are presently en route to Novelkeys and Alexotos.

 

06/02/2026

Three review units have been collected from FSR and are presently en route to our partners for content creation.

Following final assembly and inspection by Kevin at TypePlus, the fourth review unit has been dispatched to FSR.

The modified Cherry switches from Tomb have been received by Novelkeys.

The switch plates from Hypekeyboards have been received by Alexotos.

 

07/02/2026

The cyan review unit has been received by Chung-Li.

 

09/02/2026

The fourth review unit has now arrived at FSR with plates and authentication crests and has passed quality control, with only a minor note: after resizing to M3, the exterior screw holes are no longer anodised.

The silver review unit has been received by Novelkeys.

 

10/02/2026

The blue review unit has been received by Alexotos.

 

11/02/2026

The switch plates from Hypekeyboards have been received by Novelkeys.

 

12/02/2026

The green review unit has been packed and is scheduled for pickup within the next day.

 

13/02/2026

The green review unit has been collected from FSR and is presently en route to Alexotos for content creation.

 

16/02/2026

The prototype unit has been packed and is scheduled for pickup within the next day.

 

17/02/2026

The prototype unit has been collected from FSR and is presently en route to Mugen.kbd for content creation.

The green review unit has been received by Alexotos.

 

20/02/2026

The prototype unit has been received by Mugen.kbd.

The silver review unit has been repacked and is presently en route to LightningKeyboards for content creation.

 

21/02/2026

The blue review unit has been repacked and is presently en route back to FSR.

 

25/02/2026

The green review unit has been repacked and is presently en route to ExtraPriusPlease for content creation.

The silver review unit has been received by LightningKeyboards.

 

26/02/2026

The blue review unit has been received by FSR.

 

27/02/2026

The silver review unit has been repacked and is presently en route to TylerKeyboards for content creation.

 

28/02/2026

The green review unit has been received by ExtraPriusPlease.

 

01/03/2026

LightningKeyboards has been paid in full for content creation relating to the project.

 

02/03/2026

The silver review unit has been received by TylerKeyboards.

 

08/03/2026

The group buy has now concluded.

 

09/03/2026

Final sales figures have been received from Novelkeys and Typeplus.

 

10/03/2026

ExtraPriusPlease has been paid in full for content creation relating to the project.

The green review unit has been repacked and is presently en route back to FSR.

 

11/03/2026

Final production-run quotation requests have been issued for all aspects of the project.

A quotation for marine-grade stainless steel (A4) screws and 3M bumpons has been received, and the invoice settled in full.

 

13/03/2026

TylerKeyboards has been paid in full for content creation relating to the project.

The silver review unit has been repacked and is presently en route back to FSR.

 

14/03/2026

Final production order figures from Novelkeys and Typeplus have now been received, inclusive of additional units allocated for quality control.

 

15/03/2026

The marine-grade stainless steel (A4) screws and 3M bumpons have now been dispatched and are en route to FSR.

 

16/03/2026

The green review unit has been received by FSR.

 

17/03/2026

The marine-grade stainless steel (A4) screws and 3M bumpons have been received by FSR.

 

20/03/2026

The quotation for the production run units, comprising the enclosures, switch plates, and authentication crests, has been received and settled in full for FSR’s store, independent of Novelkeys and Typeplus. The following quantities specified pertain solely to FSR, with twenty-three enclosures commissioned, accompanied by twenty-three authentication crests, alongside a considered allocation of switch plates, consisting of twenty-three in carbon fibre, ten in transparent polycarbonate, and twelve in aluminium.

 

23/03/2026

The quotation for the production run units, covering the enclosures, switch plates, and authentication crests, has been received and settled in full for the Novelkeys store, independent of FSR and Typeplus. The following quantities specified pertain solely to Novelkeys: twenty-four enclosures commissioned, accompanied by twenty-four authentication crests, and a considered allocation of switch plates, including twenty-nine in carbon fibre, five in transparent polycarbonate, and fifteen in aluminium.

 

24/03/2026

The quotation for the production run units, encompassing the enclosures, switch plates, and authentication crests, has been received and settled in full for the Typeplus store, independent of FSR and Novelkeys. The following quantities specified pertain solely to Typeplus, with eight enclosures commissioned, accompanied by eight authentication crests, alongside a considered allocation of switch plates, consisting of eight in carbon fibre, and three in aluminium.

 

31/03/2026

The silver review unit has been received by FSR.

 

03/04/2026

The quotation has been received for the carry cases production run, and the order has been placed. Fifty per cent of the payment has been made, with the balance due upon completion of production.

 

06/04/2026

The production-run solder and hotswap MX PCB designs have been finalised by Gondolindrim.

 

15/04/2026

The quotation for the production run of MX PCBs, comprising both solder and hotswap, has been received and settled in full for FSR’s store, independent of Novelkeys and Typeplus. The following quantities specified pertain solely to FSR, with thirty-eight solder PCBs and eight hotswap PCBs commissioned.

 

17/04/2026

The quotation for the production run of MX PCBs, comprising both solder and hotswap, has been received and settled in full for the Novelkeys store, independent of FSR and Typeplus. The following quantities specified pertain solely to Novelkeys, with thirty-nine solder PCBs and fifteen hotswap PCBs commissioned.

The quotation for the production run of MX PCBs, comprising both solder and hotswap, has been received and settled in full for the Typeplus store, independent of FSR and Novelkeys. The following quantities specified pertain solely to Typeplus, with ten solder PCBs and two hotswap PCBs commissioned.

 

13/05/2026

Pre-production MX PCB samples have now been completed and are being prepared for shipment to FSR for in-person evaluation and verification.

The screws, bumpons, and colour samples have now been packaged and are scheduled for collection tomorrow.

 

14/05/2026

The pre-production MX PCB samples have been dispatched and are presently en route to FSR.

The screws, bumpons, and colour samples have now been collected from FSR and are presently en route to Dadesin for the production run.

 

18/05/2026

The screws, bumpons, and colour samples have been received by Dadesin.

The pre-production MX PCB samples have been received by FSR, and testing has been completed successfully. The go-ahead has been given for the remaining production run to proceed.

 

19/05/2026

The carry cases have completed production, with the remaining balance settled in full. Fifty-five carry cases have been dispatched and are presently en route to Dadesin.

 

25/05/2026

The MX PCB production run is now complete. A total of eighty-seven solder MX PCBs and twenty-five hotswap MX PCBs have passed factory quality control, been packaged, and dispatched to Dadesin.

 

28/05/2026

The MX PCBs have been received by Dadesin.

 

29/05/2026

The carry cases have been received by Dadesin.